The Tigon is based on Hanwha’s 6×6 Black Fox armoured vehicle can be armed with various weapon systems. The vehicle can function as an armoured personnel carrier by accommodating up to 11 personnel, including a driver, a commander, and a gunner, and is capable of carrying out missions as part of an army’s mechanised infantry units. Tigon, a wholly new vehicle that leverages the experience acquired with the Black Fox, currently in service with Indonesia Army. South Korean company Hanwha Defense Systems and Malaysia’s AVP Engineering unveiled the Tigon 6×6 armoured wheeled vehicle at the 16–19 April Defence Services Asia 2018 (DSA 2018) exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.
This armoured vehicle can host a crew of two and 11 dismounts in the personnel carrier variant. It is powered by a Caterpillar C9.3 530 hp engine coupled to a full automatic Allison 4500SP transmission, and is fitted with independent whishbone suspensions with coil spring and shock absorber. Optional equipment that can be fitted on the TIGON include: Water Jet propulsion, Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS), Automatic Fire Suppression System (AFSS), NBC protection system, thermal driver periscope and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF). The prototype already underwent company tests in Korea, is amphibious, and is propulsed in water by two waterjets that ensure an 8.5 km/h speed, maximum speed on road being 100 km/h; cruise range is estimated at 1,000 km.
The Tigon, which will soon undergo trials with the MA, can be armed with various weapon systems. It is fitted with a standard crew-served 12.7 mm machine gun as its main weapon, but the manufacturer also offers the option of equipping the vehicle with either a 12.7 mm or a 30 mm remote weapon station (RWS). A 90 mm cannon is also optional. The recently unveiled vehicle is not only heavier (between 21 tonnes and 22 tonnes depending on the selected armament) than the Black Fox (18 tonnes), but also features an increased level of protection against machine gun fire, mines, and improvised explosive devices, said the official, without providing further details.
